


Phantom Pains

by Finn565



Series: In an Endless Universe I Will Always Find You [3]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Professor Membrane, Tender - Freeform, cool alien tech, its not graphic but ao3 won't let me put anything else as a warning, little bit of gore, more anatomy lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29054709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finn565/pseuds/Finn565
Summary: “Off, Irken.” He knows it's crude, his human tongue is not very good at making the clicking noises of the language but he is pretty alright at the hissing parts of it. Thankful that humans are very good at mimicry.The creatures laugh at him, “you can not even speak full sentences, you have no idea how to use that weapon. Inferior.”Dib will admit he doesn’t know how the gun in his hands works, but it feels heavy and he has always been adaptable. With all his might he runs with the gun towards the insects. They don’t seem like they were expecting that one. He manages to get a good hit in with the gun and hears a cracking noise.
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim), ZaDr - Relationship
Series: In an Endless Universe I Will Always Find You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129628
Comments: 2
Kudos: 75





	Phantom Pains

**Author's Note:**

> This is a progression of the previous part in the series. There's a bit of violence and some descriptions of injuries and blood. If that sort of thing freaks you out, please feel free to skip this installation of my series. 
> 
> They talk briefly about some more mature human activities but nothing really happens. Just a little chat.

Dib’s lung’s burn from exgustation. Zim does not seem to share in his problem as they continue to run. A business dealing gone wrong has them pursued by large bug like creatures. He always thought Irkens looked like insects and were the most insectoid of all the aliens this universe had to offer. Apparently he was wrong. As these creatures crawl on 6 spindly legs and have large pinchers for mouths. 

Not to say Zim isn’t a bug.

“Keep up or you will be eaten alive!” Zim is practically tugging him along. 

“Don’t let it go to your head but I don’t have the same endurance you do!”

“Inferior humans, “ The irken spits at him and then scoops him up. He lets out a yelp of surprise and hangs onto the Irken as he hears the metallic clink of the Pak legs. 

“Irken!” The creatures yell behind them, Zim barks a laugh at them. Obviously confident that they have avoided their presurers.

They slide around a corner out of sight and unfortunately right into a dead end. Zim attempts to use his Pak legs to climb the walls of the buildings that surround them but can’t find purchase on the smooth walls. The creatures chasing them chuckle as they come around the corner. In each of their front hands are big gray guns that expel a soft green glowing color. There’s at least 5 of them. 

“Who’s inferior now,” Dib whispers to Zim who lowers them back to ground level.

“Still you.” Zim keeps the legs extended, two disappear back to the Pak and re-emerge as two blasters. “Stay back while I deal with this.” 

The two insets rush them and Zim wastes no time charging right back towards them. Gun fire goes off, green and pink blaster shots making the alleyway glow. 

Dib flounders, unsure what to do with himself as he watches the Irken hiss and scrap. One of the creature's guns goes skidding towards him as Zim slashes the creature's arm off with one of his Pak legs. He thinks briefly on how his younger self would have been no match against a truly and rightfully pissed off Irken. Something about the way Zim can hold off 5 creatures bigger than him all at once with no help, makes blood rush to his face and his pulse quicken. 

The feeling is soon squashed when one of the last two creature’s gets a drop on the Irken and slams Zim into the ground, “Insolent vermin,” The creature clicks in Irken. It’s taken a while but he can understand it now. Writing it and speaking it himself is a different story.

The creature stomps on the Irken’s Pak and it makes a metal bending noise. Zim lets out a shriek of pain and something clicks in Dib. He grabs the gun from the floor and shouts, “HEY!” He cocks the gun in what he hopes is an intimidating way. 

The creatures turn to him, they continue to use Irken and he realizes he will also have to speak it if he wants to communicate with them, “We will kill you shortly,” They sneer at him.

“Off, Irken.” He knows it's crude, his human tongue is not very good at making the clicking noises of the language but he is pretty alright at the hissing parts of it. Thankful that humans are very good at mimicry. 

The creatures laugh at him, “you can not even speak full sentences, you have no idea how to use that weapon. Inferior.”

Dib will admit he doesn’t know how the gun in his hands works, but it feels heavy and he has always been adaptable. With all his might he runs with the gun towards the insects. They don’t seem like they were expecting that one. He manages to get a good hit in with the gun and hears a cracking noise. 

The second creature grabs him and yanks him away after he delivers a second blow that seems to put the first one out. A blinding pain sears his right arm and he cries out in pain. The pain is so severe he has to keep his eyes closed, trying to will it away. 

The alien holding him is shot with a pink beam and he falls to the ground. The pain is throbbing all the way through his body and he lets out a sob without meaning to. He tries his hardest to push himself up, but fails for some reason.

He opens his eyes and sees crimson splattering the ground. When he assesses where it comes from he realizes he’s gushing great globs of it from where his right arm used to be. His eyes widen and the shock begins to set in. He feels like throwing up, the world tilts on an axis, making him feel dizzy.

Green clawed hands cup his cheeks and tilt his head up, “Do not dare to fall asleep, Dib.” The Irken begins to tear at his clothes and he wants to protest the alien ruining his clothing but can’t open his mouth without sobbing again. 

“Stop your crying. I will fix this. You must stay awake!” Zim begins to wrap the cloth around his torso. He finds he can’t even feel the sting of it anymore. His toes feel numb. 

“Stay awake, please stay awake.” There is a panic settling into the Irken's tone, “I don’t have the right things here to fix you.” Zim sits him up and wraps his arms around him. Dib does his best to sling an arm around him and hold on. He’s not finding any purchase though. 

Zim holds him tight and begins to move them with his Pak legs. Dib can’t keep his eyes open, he just can’t. He hooks his chin over the Irkens shoulder and lets his eyelids slide closed. 

***

Dib awakes with a panicked start, eyes flying open and a gasp filling his lungs. A clawed hand slides into his own and squeezes.

“Hush, I am sorry I tweaked your shoulder. Zim did not mean to hurt you.”

He supposes that was what had woken him wasn’t it. He tries to move his right arm to reach for his glasses and hisses in pain when it feels like his arm is numb, a jolt stings up his spine. He looks over and his heart sinks when he remembers that the appendage is simply gone. 

“Fuck.” He lays his head back on the table he’s laid out on, “Fuck, oh fuck. Fuck.” He can feel panic rising in his chest. 

“Hush,” Zim presses a soft kiss to his forehead and it dulls the panic away for a moment, “I am making you a replacement now. Zim was taking measurements just now.”

He tries to take some deep breaths, and realizes Zim is still holding his hand in a soothing matter. He squeezes it and receives a squeeze back. He gets another kiss to his temple. “That was very stupid of you, Dib-thing.” Dib grunts in response. “And very brave. I could have been permanently damaged had you not come to my rescue.” Zim is taking measurements of his existing arm and comparing it to the other side of his body. “Zim is sorry it cost you an appendage.”

He feels like crying, but holds it back. He unconsciously tries to flex his fingers on the right arm and again gets a jolt of pain for his efforts.

Zim stops and leans back to another table, grabbing a small glass vile and holding it out, “drink this,” He gently combs a hand through Dib’s hair. He wants to laugh slightly about how he would have never accepted a strange drink from the Irken before they entered whatever arrangement they have. Now he opens his mouth without even asking what it is.

“This should help with the phantom pains you are feeling, Zim knows it will be hard for your pathetic human brain to comprehend at first, but try not to try and move your non-existent arm.”

Dib swallows the foul tasting concoction, “Fuck that is terrible. Couldn’t make it a different flavor?”

“Stop your complaining, Zim is trying to fix you.” Zim pinches his nose briefly. He chuckles lightly and tries to sit still, “Your irken was fairly good. We should practice more when you are feeling better.”

“Today sucked,” Dib says in Irken, smiling slightly as he knows he’s nailed the pronunciation. 

Zim shakes his head and answers in Irken, “8 days ago you mean.”

He switches back to english, “8 Days?!”

“Do not yell, you will exhaust yourself even more.” Zim hisses at him, “Zim had to complete surgery on you, I had to skin graft.”

“Can I see?” 

Zim seems to contemplate that, antenna raised slightly forward, “You should not move, there will be time to see later.”

He huffs but sits still and lets the invader work on him.

“It will be a good amount of time before I will need you to be awake again. You may rest. It will help the process.”

He does feel tired, and he isn’t much use laying on a table with only one arm. He lost his primary hand he realizes. He lost his arm saving Zim’s life, and Zim saved his in return. Something blooms warm and sweet in his chest as he watches the Irken work on something metal. 

“Zim?” He speaks softly, “I love you.”

Zim stops working on the metal and looks at him. Dib knows the Irken will not respond to him the way he wants. Irkens can’t love.

“The solution is beginning to work. Sleep.” Zim returns to his work, and Dib tries to respond but finds sleep is forcefully taking him. 

***

Dib wakes up to the feeling of claws gently petting through his hair, he feels warm at the touches. Keeping his eyes closed to try and stay in the moment. 

“I know you are awake, I can feel it.”

He opens his eyes to find he is no longer in the operating room he was in a moment ago. He is laying in his bed instead. Zim sits on the edge of it, hovering over him slightly. 

“How long was I out?”

“Another 2 days, Zim has replaced your arm with a new one.” The irken states it as if it is the most boring fact in the world and not a feat of engineering.

“Replaced it with what?” He still feels groggy from his rest and doesn’t fully understand. 

“Look for yourself.” Zim lifts his right arm up. It's a dark grey color with blue cords running along the parts that are exposed. Like veins that glow. The fingers are incredibly intricate, having three joints just like his human fingers. His father’s arms are just like this. Except he likes these much more. 

“You made me this?”

“Your companionship must be permanent, and in order for that you must be at full functionality. Be careful with it at first, Zim did his best to wire this, but only based on previous information on human anatomy.”

“That doesn’t instill confidence in me,” Dib groans, he feels nervous to move it. Like it will shatter when it moves ever so slightly. He tries to flex his fingers and is surprised when they twitch lightly and then bend into a fist. When he doesn’t feel the contact it's strange. “I can’t feel anything.”

“I can’t replicate that in metal, Dib-stink.”

He lifts the arm and turns the wrist over, slowly closing and opening the hand to test it, “I’m not being an ass, I’m extremely thankful.” He looks at Zim, who seems to be monitoring his actions like a scientist with a new experiment, “Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“No.”

Well at least he’s honest. He holds the metal hand out to the Irken who hesitates to slide his hand into Dib’s. He's almost upset by the fact that he can’t feel the aliens skin against his own. Zim is looking at him, seeming to gauge his reaction.

“I must look even more like my dad now.”

Zim actually expels a small laugh, an easy smile on the Irken's face. Which is a rare sight, considering the most he does is grin and sneer on most occasions. “Your father is not an…..unattractive human I suppose.” It's supposed to be a joke but he doesn’t laugh.

“Ew, gross. Don’t talk about my dad like that, bug-boy.”

Zim laughs more, “Zim was worried for nothing.”

Dib finds himself smiling in the same easy fashion, “What do you mean?”

“ Zim was concerned that you would not make a full mental recovery from losing a limb.” 

“Well you underestimated me once again, space-freak. I’m not like other humans.” He grabs the Irken unceremoniously and flips Zim onto the bed. He is met with lots of hisses as they tussle on the sheets. The Irken never moves to outright strike him, however, just wrestling with him. Dib almost forgets that he has no real arm, except for the fact that all his movements don’t result in any touch he can register, and he over/under judges how far things are due to this. 

Zim ends up pinning his arms to the bed, sitting on his chest. The Irken sneers in his face, “I win, pathetic earth creature. Prepare to meet your doom, stink-beast.”

Dib tilts his head back and exposes his neck in what he hopes looks like a sign of submission even for the alien, “I accept my fate, alien-scum.”

Zim leans down and kisses him, “I know you are not like other humans, Dib.” He says quietly against his mouth. 

Dib’s chest swells and he suddenly remembers what he said before the concoction Zim gave him made him fall asleep. “Hey, I um,” He looks away when the Irken pulls away enough to look him in the eye. “I um, sorry for what I said before I fell asleep. I know you can’t really experience that feeling.”

“There is no need for your stupid apologies. Human’s have so many feelings it is overwhelming, and doesn’t make sense for an Invader to have them.”

“I did mean it. I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with you. What is wrong with me.”

“Many things but none of them have to do with this Love feeling! Zim is an excellent choice for a mate, I can assure you!”

Dib blushes at the word mate, “I think that word means different things for our species.”

“No, they mean the same thing. We have yet to complete the process but judging by our progression in relationship it is the next logical step.”

Dib flushes all the way up to his ears, he clears his throat, “Lets um, think about that later.”

“You are far too easily embarrassed by bodily functions.”

“Do you even have said bodily functions?” He is suddenly aware of the irken’s thighs spread on either side of his chest.

Zim opens his mouth and then shuts it, narrowing his eyes and antenna laying flat, “Zim doesn’t know.”

That's about what he thought, “it doesn’t matter, Humans don’t have to do that stuff to be close.”

“They don’t,” The Irken grimaces, “In all forms of media humans are required to get to this stage.”

Dib moves his arms and finds no resistance as he touches the Irkens shoulders. He thinks if he puts them lower it will allow his overactive imagination to believe this is anything other than simple touches. “That’s not true. Tons of people on earth are asexual.”

“Your species can reproduce asexually?!” Zim’s eyes widen.

“No!” He laughs lightly, “No, they just prefer to not do those things with humans.”

“Are you Asexual?” Zim cocks his head.

He thinks about it for a second. He never really found any humans attractive, spending most of his time hunting paranormal anomalies instead of making lasting connections. That doesn’t mean he isn't very interested in the activity though, “No, I think I’m just a xenophile.” 

“Xenophile?”

Dib blushes slightly, again aware of their proximity, “Yeah, it’s someone who’s attracted to creatures who don’t look like them.” 

“Ah, so you are considered a freak among your species for even this.” Zim snickers in his face and he sighs nodding slightly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a freak. Heard it my entire life.”

“Zim enjoys your freakish company, Dib-beast.”

Dib can’t help but smile softly, “well, I guess some one has to.” 

The Irken seems satisfied with their conversation and adjusts to lay down on top of him. He shifts slightly so he can wrap his arms around the smaller of them. In the darkness his new arm glows a very light blue.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this, our next installment is probably going to be some kind of smut. So feel free to skip the next one!


End file.
